Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Day 2019 – 17th-18th August 2019

Report and Images by James Stoker

The Coble and Keelboat Society stand (which is put together by David Carrick) was at the Lifeboat Day this year and was offered a place under The Rapid Relief Team’s marquee.

This years Staithes and Runswick Lifeboat Day was on a warm August weekend. David Carrick had set up his display of interesting artefacts under The Rapid Relief Team’s marquee, and area of which was gratefully donated to us on the day!

The afternoon and the start of the days demonstrations loomed, at 1400 hours the Staithes Lifeboat launched, the visiting Runswick Bay Rescue Boat, and Redcar’s lifeboat were also present in the harbour. and Whitby’s all-weather Trent lifeboat soon also arrived.

The demonstrations began with a join multi-team-working scenario, involving North Yorkshire Police, HM Coastguard and Runswick’s Rescue Boat. A robber was on the run, and he tried to make an escape across the breakwater – falling between stones, being extracted by HM Coastguard, then jumping into the harbour to try and effect an escape. He was rescued by the Runswick RIB and handed to the waiting policeman. Whimsical but a very good way of demonstrating multi-agency responses.

There was no coastguard helicopter demonstration on the Saturday, but there was the usual man overboard scenario, this year using the fibreglass coble Golden Crown as the casualty vessel.

The activity in and around the harbour made for an enjoyable day, and the event is one that the CKS will continue to support – bringing history to where it happened.